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No. 506,144. Patented Oct. 3, 1893.

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No. 506,144.- Patented Oct. 3,1893. H 5. HF. 1

WI 1' NEEEEE UNITED STATES PATENT EEroE.

EDWIN H. WHITNEY, OF EAST PROVIDENCE, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN SHIP WINDLASS COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of I Letters Patent No. 506,144, dated October 3, 1893. I

Application filed April 28, 1893. Serial No. 472,179. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. WHITNEY, of the town of East Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Winches; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. I This invention has reference to improvements in hoisting-winches.

One object of the invention is to so construct a winch that it may be operated by an electrical-motor supported on the bed-plate,

or frame, of the winch.

Another object of the invention is to so construct a winch that the thrust of the drum and the driving-gear will be exerted exclusively on their shaft and not on the end frames in which the shaft is journaled. Still another object is to provide a more effective shifting-device for throwing the winding-drum into and out of engagement with 2 5 the friction-cavity of the driving-gear.

Another object is to provided a winch with an improved automatic stop-mechanism by means of which the winch and the motor for driving the same may be stopped at given points either when hoisting or lowering.

Another object is to so construct an electrically-operated winch that the electric-motor will be thoroughly protected from injury.

The invention consists in the peculiar con- 3 5 struction of the winch and its controllingmechanism and the novel combination therewith of the electric-motor and its governingdevices.

The invention also consists in such other peculiar features of construction and combination of parts, as will hereinafter be more fully described and pointed out in the claims. Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the improved winch with the electric-motor and its resistance-box. Fig. 2 represents a front view of the same, partially in vertical section, the motor and resistance-box being removed and portions of the frame and casings being broken away. Fig.3 represents a front view of the resistance box, the lever, by the thrownut and the parts adjacent thereto.

. ing of which the electrical current may be gradually supplied to the motor or out out from the same, together with the shifting rack for automatically operating this lever. Fig. 4 represents a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3 as well as the rod for operating the shifting-rack. Fig. 5 represents a front view of the stop-mechanism operated by the winding-drum, a portion of the drum being shown to indicate its position with refer ence to the stop-mechanism. Fig. 6 represents a side view of the same with a portion of the operating-rod. Fig. 7 represents an enlarged detail sectional view of the shifting- Fig. Sis a cross-sectional view of the same taken on a line a-b, Fig. 7. Fig. 9 represents a vertical sectional View through the motor-case and resistance-box, also indicating the source of electrical energy by means of which the elec- 7o trio-motor is driven, showing its connection with the coils of the resistance-box and with the motor.

Similar numbers and letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout.

In the drawings 10 indicates the bed-plate to which the side-frames 11 and 12 are bolted or otherwise secured. The frames 11 and 12 are furnished with bearings in which the ends of the drum-shaft 13, the drive-shaft 14 and the shifter rock-shaft 15 are journaled, the brake-shaft 16 being journaled at one end in the frame 12 and at the other in a bearing secured to the bracket 17 which is formed in part with the base-plate.

Mounted on the drum-shaft 13, outside the frame 12, is a winding-barrel18 keyed or oth-' erwise secured to the shaft, and immediately within this frame is keyed the driving-gear 19 by means of the key 20 entering seats in the shaft and the hub of the gear in such a manner that an outward thrust exerted on this gear will be resisted by the key pressing against the end of the key-seat, or slot, in the shaft. The inner face of the gear 19 is fur- 5 nished with a friction-cavity 21, the rim of which inclines from the edge toward the main portion of the gear.

Reciprocally mounted on the shaft 13, between the frames, is the winding-drum 22 having, at the end nearest the driving-gear, an enlarged friction-flange 23, the outer sur face of which tapers to fit the friction-cavity of the driving-gear. At the opposite end the drum is furnished with an annular-rim 24 to serve as a bearing-surface for the friction brake-band 25 partially surrounding the same; the hub 26, of the drum, at this end has also an annular-groove 27.

The sleeve 28 is mounted on the shaft 13 between the hub 26 of the winding-drum and the frame 11, from which it is separated on the one side by the antifriction-ring 29 and on the other by the rings 30 and 31 and the key 32 let into the shaft, this key preventing any side strain being exerted by the sleeve on the frame 11. The outer surface of the sleeve 28 is furnished with a strong screwthread 33 and the sleeve is held from rotation by the arm 34 extending from the sleeve and secured to the frame 11. The nut 35 furnished with a screw-thread corresponding to that of the sleeve 28 is mounted thereon and is provided with an operating-arm 36, by which it may be rotated, and with the bentarms 37-37 for engaging the groove 27 in the hub 26 of the winding-drum. To'the outer end of the operating-arm 36 is pivoted a depending-rod 38, the lower end of which is pivoted to the lever 39 extending from the shifter rock-shaft 15; to this shaft is also secured the rocker-arm 40, the upper end of the rockerarm being connected, by the pivoted-rod 41, with the lever 42 which is in turn pivoted to the bracket 43 extending from the base-plate 10, this lever being furnished with a lockingbolt 44 for engaging the teeth of the rack 45 secured adjacent thereto. When the lever 42 is drawn forward, the nut 35 will, through its connections therewith, be partially rotated on the sleeve 28 and will traverse along the same, forcing the winding-drum into contact with the friction-cavity of the drive-gear, by which the drum will be rotated, a reverse movement of the lever acting to draw the drum out of engagement therewith.

The brake-band 25 is lined with wood and is partially supported, when not in use, out of contact with the face of the rim 24 by the spring 46 mounted on the standard 47 secured to the frame 11; the lower ends of the strap are secured to the bell crank lever 48, and this in turn being pivoted to the lever 49 mounted on the shaft 16, which is furnished with a rearwardly extendingcounterweightedarm to overbalance the weight of the lever 49.

The electric-motor A may be of any ordinary construction, and is contained within a casing 51 at the forward end of the frameplate 10, the end of the commutator-shaft 52 of the motor extending beyond the casing and being furnished with a small gear 53 contained within the casing 54, and intermeshing with the large gear 55 which is mounted on the drive-shaft 14, and is in turn protected by the casing 56. On the shaft 14, near its bearing in the frame 12, is secured the small gear 57 which intermeshes with the drivegear 19. This arrangement of gears transmits the power from the commutator of the electric-motor to the drive-gear at a greatly reduced speed. On the commutator-shaft 52 is also mounted a friction-pulley 58, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and surrounding this pulley is a friction-hand 59, one end of which is secured to the bracket 60, while the other end is fastened to the weighted-lever 61. The resistance or rheostat box 62 is supported by the motor-case, being of the usual construction, the resistance coils B, B, and B, B, of this box being connected by one arm of an electrical circuit C with a source of electrical energy D which may be a battery or dynamo, the electric-motor being connected with the other arm of the circuit in the ordinary manner. The resistance coils B, B, and B, B, of this box are thrown into the circuit by the switch-lever 63 pivoted on the face of the box, or gradually cut out of the circuit, as the lever is moved toward the center of the contactplate 64, to allow the full current to pass to the motor when the motor is running at full speed. This is accomplished by means of the contact-arm 63 mounted on the inner end of the shaft or pivot of the lever 63, one end of this contact-arm being alternately brought in contact with contact-plates connected with the resistance-coils, while the other end of this arm moves over and in contact with a circular-plate E connected in the motor circuit.

Mounted on the pivot of the switch-lever 63 is a small gear 65, and intermeshing with the teeth of the gear is a rack 66 reciprocally supported in the frame 67, which is supported on the pivot of the lever 63; the rack is connected by the rod 68 with one arm of the bellcrank 69, this being pivoted on the bracket 70 extending from the motor-case and connected by the rod 71 passing through the bracket bearings 7272 on the motor-case to the lever 73. The rod 71 has a reduced portion, or depression, 74 which, when the shifting-lever 63 is brought to the position shown in the drawings and the current is shut oif from the motor, is located between the brackets 70--70, and the bearing 75 at the upper end of the rod 76 is allowed to drop into the same, thus permitting the depression of the lever 77 pivoted to the lower end of the rod 76 and to the motor-case. The forward end of the lever is connected by the link 78 with the weighted-lever 61, and the dropping of the weighted end of this lever exerts a strain on the friction-band 59, drawing the same tightly around the disk 58 and preventing the rotation thereof to stop the motor. When, however, this straiuis removed by the bearing 75 riding on to the main portion of the rod, the disk 58 is free to rotate with the motor-shaft.

The lever 73 is furnished with a guide 79 and has, at its lower end, a bearing through which the screw-shaft 80 is free to rotate; this screw-shaft is rotatable in bearings of the bracket 81 secured to the casing 56. The

screw-shaft is furnished with the adj ustablenuts 82 and 83 and thereciprocating-nut 84 having an arm movable in the guide 79 to prevent its rotation. On the end of the shaft is secured the turning-Wheel 85 having radially-extending arms, while on the end face of the drum 22 are secured pins 8686 which, as the drum rot-ates in either direction, strike the arms of the Wheel 85 and rotate the screwshaft, thus traversing the nut 84 alongthe same until it comes in contact with either of the adj ustable-nuts 82 or 83 by which its trav erse is limited, and the lever 73 is shifted when the next pin 86. strikes an arm of the wheel 85 and is moved sufficiently to operate the switching-lever through the connections therewith to always throw the same to the center of the contact-plate and to cut off the electric current from the motor, while the automatic-brake is allowed to act at the same time as above described. The setting of the nuts 82 or 83 is determined by the length of cable it is desired to wind 011 the drum, or to unwind therefrom, to hoist or lower the article secured to the end of the cable to a given point. After being set no attention is re quire-d of the operator as, when the point is reached, the mechanism will be automatically stopped.

Should it become desirable to lower without reversing the motor, the winding-drum may be released from the friction-cavity of the drive-gear and governed by the frictionbrake 25.

In winches of the ordinary construction the thrust of the winding-mechanism is exerted directly on the end frames and at their upper portions, thus tending to their early destruction; this is obviated by furnishing the main shaft 13 with the keys 20 and 32 against which all thrust is exerted.

The winches herein described are sometimes arranged in pairs; in this case the frame 11 serves as a central frame but the mechanisms of the winches are entirely independent of each other.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a winch hoistingdevice having a windingdrum reciprocally mounted on a shaft, the combination therewith of a non-rotatable screw-threaded sleeve also mounted on the shaft, a threaded-nut mounted on said sleeve, arms secured to the nut and engaging the hub of the winding-drum, a lever extending from the nut, a rod pivoted to the end of said lever, a rock-shaft mounted in bearings and furnished with anarm to which the end of the rod is pivoted, a rocker-arm extending from the rock-shaftat an angle with the first mentioned arm, a pivoted operating-lever carrying a locking-device, and a connecting-rod pivoted to the lever and to the rocker-arm, as described.

2. In a winch hoisting-device, the combination with end frames supported on a bedplate,,a.shaft journaled in bearings therein,

a drive-gear and a winding-drum mounted on;

the shaft, a drive-shaft also journaled in bearings in the end frames, a small gear mounted of circuit, of devices intermediate the switch-' ing-lever and winding drum whereby the.

starting lever may be operated by the rotation of the drum.

'4. In a hoisting-machine, the combination with a rotatable hoisting-drum, an electricmotor and means intermediate the motor and the drum whereby the rotation of the motorshaft is conveyed thereto, of the motor-shaft, a friction-device carried thereby, a brake adapted to operate thereon, a switching-lever for connecting the motor with the main elec-. trio-circuit, and a releasing-device operated by the switching-lever to allow the brake to act, as described.

5. In a hoisting-machine, the combination with a rotatable hoisting-drum, an electricmotor for operating the same, and a brake for preventing the rotation of the motor-shaft, of a lever adapted to be operated by the drum, a switching-lever locatedin the motor circuit, pivotal connections between the same and the drum-lever whereby the switching-lever is operated and means provided in said pivotal connections for releasing the motor-brake, as described.

6. In a hoisting mechanism, the combination with the bedplate 10, the frames 11 and 12 supported thereby, the shafts 13 and 15 journaled in bearings of the frames, the drivegear 19 having the friction-cavity 21 keyed to the shaft 13, the winding-drum 22 independently mounted on the shaft 13 and furnished with'the friction-flange 23, the friction-rim 24 i and the groove-hub 26, the screw-threaded sleeve 28 also mounted on the shaft 13 and having the bent-arm 34 the end of which is secured to the frame 11, the friction-ring 29 located between this sleeve and the drumhub, the key 32, the friction-rings 30 and 31 located on the shaft between this key and the sleeve, the threaded-nut 35 mounted on the sleeve, having the operating-arm 36 and furnished with the bent-arms 37 for-engaging the groove of the hub 26, the rod 38-pivoted to the end of the arm 36 and to the lever 39 of the rock-shaft 15, the rocker-arm 40 extending from the rock-shaft, the connectingrod 41 pivoted to the rocker-arm and to the pivoted-lever 42, the lever 42 carrying a locking-bolt 44, and a rack in which this lever is adapted to be engaged, of the shaft 14 also journaled in bearings of the frame, a small gear 57 mounted on this shaft and engaging with the gear 19, a large gear mounted on the opposite end-portion of the shaft 14, a driving-mechanism having a small gear intermeshing with the gear 55, a friction-band 25 bearing on the friction-rim 24, and a lever for operating this band, as described.

7. In a hoisting-mechanism, the combination with a hoisting-d rum mounted on a shaft, an electricalmotor, the commutator shaft thereof, and incased gears intermediate said shaft and the drum by which the same is driven, of the friction-disk 58, the brake-band 59 surrounding the disk secured at one end to the bracket 60, the weighted-arm 61 to which the other end of the band is fastened, a switching-lever for starting and stopping the motor, and mechanism operated by the switching-lever for releasing the weightedarm 61, as and for the purpose described.

8. In a hoisting-mechanism having a rotatable-drum, an electric-motor for operating the same and a switch-lever for connecting or disconnecting the motor with the main electric circuit, the combination with the drum having the pins 86 secured in theend portion thereof, the screw-shaft 80 journaled in bearings adjacent to such end-portion and furnished with a wheel 85 the radial-arms of which are adapted to be engaged by the pins 86 to turn the screw-shaft, the adjustablenuts 82 and 83 carried by this shaft, the traverse-nut 84 having an extension arm also carried by the screw-shaft, the lever 73 having the guide 79 in which the extension-arm of the nut 84 is free to move, pivoted on the shaft, the connecting-rod 71 pivoted to said lever and supported in the bracket-bearings 72-72, having the reduced portion 74, and the bell-crank 69 pivoted on a bracket, to one arm of which the rod 71 is pivoted, of the starting-lever 63 mounted on a pivot, the gear 65 also mounted on the leverpivot, a slidingrack 66 engaging the teeth of said gear, and a rod 68 secured to the rack and to an arm of the bell-crank 69, as described.

9. In a hoisting-mechanism having a winding-drum rotatably supported, and a drivingmechanism having a rotatable shaft, the combination therewith and with the rod 71 having the reduced-portion 74, supported in the bearings 7272 and adapted to be reciprocated by mechanism operated by the winding-drum, the rod 76 furnished with a hearing mounted on the rod 71 between the bearings 72-72, the pivoted-lever 77 secured to the rod 76 and normally supported by the bearing 75 riding on the main portion of the rod 71, the link 78 pivoted to the end of the lever 7 7,-and a weighted friction-brake mechanism normally supported by this link, of the mechanism drive-shaft and a friction-disk carried thereby adapted to be engaged by the weighted friction-brake when the same is released, as and for the purpose described.

EDWIN H. WHITNEY. Witnesses:

HENRY J. MILLER, M. F. BLIGH. 

